Foreign trade volume in Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong province, hit 49.03 billion yuan ($7.62 billion), an increase of 19.1 percent year-on-year, in the first four months of this year, according to the city's customs.

The city's total imports and exports accounted for 5.8 percent of the province's total and was ranked sixth among cities in the province during the period. Its exports were valued at 27.11 billion yuan, up 30.9 percent year-on-year, while its imports reached 21.92 billion yuan, up 7.2 percent year-on-year.

In the first four months, the imports and exports of private enterprises in Jinan reached 29.67 billion yuan, up 14.3 percent, accounting for 60.5 percent of the city's total.

General trade continued to dominate the city's foreign trade during the period. The city's general trade rose by 25.9 percent to 44.47 billion yuan, accounting for 90.7 percent of the city's total.

Jinan's foreign trade with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) stood at 8.77 billion yuan, an increase of 13.3 percent year-on-year. Its imports and exports with the EU (excluding the UK) reached 5.82 billion yuan, up 20.2 percent year-on-year.

In addition, the city's foreign trade with countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative totaled 11.29 billion yuan, up 29.4 percent, and accounted for 41.6 percent of the city's total.